Machine for forming a round bale of fibrous agricultural material

ABSTRACT

To form round bales of fibrous agricultural material, windrowed material is fed into a baling zone formed within a frame. The frame is formed of a stationary front part and a rear part pivotally connected to the front part. Circumferential peripheral surface of the baling zone is lined with conveying elements, either belts, chains, drums, rollers or the like can be used. The material enters in the lower portion of the front part through an opening between two adjacent conveying elements. As it is carried along by the conveying elements, the material is turned over on itself gradually producing a round bale limited in size by the circumferential periphery of the baling zone. As the zone becomes filled, the conveying elements compress the material, wherein the inner layers foist together in a stellate manner. When the bale is completed the rear part pivots away from the front part to discharge the bale.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 612,104 filed on Sept. 9,1975, U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,653.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a machine for the production of roundbales of fibrous agricultural material, for example of windrowedmaterial and, more particularly, it is directed to a two-piece,generally cylindrical frame or housing with a horizontal center axis,defining a baling zone in which circulating conveying elements,extending over the whole axial width of the housing, are arranged andthe conveying elements are driven in the circumferential peripheraldirection of the baling zone with an inlet opening formed between twospaced elements.

Various round bale forming machines have been proposed for windrowedfibrous material to which the material has been supplied in a loose,windrow form via a pick-up device to the inlet opening or gap. In thebaling zone a lower and an upper conveyor belt are provided, whichconsist either of individual belts arranged alongside each other with aspacing between them, of straps of material covering the whole width, orof conveying chains with transverse bars. The two conveying belts arearranged and held so that when the baling zone is empty adjacent to thematerial inlet opening they are opposite each other with a small spacingin one particular section and they carry out oppositely directedmovements. The initially introduced, comparatively thin layer ofpreliminarily compacted material is wound between the two sections in afirm manner to form a roll with a small diameter and the followingmaterial is pressed continuously in a tight manner spirally by theradial pressure of the conveyor belts onto the round bale being formed.After reaching the desired diameter the roll bale is tied round severaltimes with binding twine and is thrown out of the baling zone by anupward pivoting movement of a rear part of the housing.

With an increase in the bale diameter the section of one or both of theconveying belts which drives the bale, retracts up to the housingdefining the baling zone. The conveying belt lengths, not requiredinitially and afterwards only slowly coming into use, must be taken upby complicated tensioning devices. In accordance with U.S. Pat. No.3,722,197 the take-up is carried out by means of two tension rolls whichare journalled on a pair of hydraulically operated lever arms which formtwo elongated loops within the empty baling zone.

These tensioning devices are not only complicated and expensive inconstruction but also constitute a part of the machine which is liableto failure and causes a high degree of wear of the strap and beltmaterial owing to the constant and multiple alternating bending actions.In the above-mentioned patent the direction of bending is changed sixtimes during one cycle of movement of the belt.

The tensioning devices are not capable, as the diameter of the baleincreases, of increasing or maintaining constant the pressure on thebale surface. As a result, a bale is formed with a hard core but with anouter part which becomes less and less dense and with its outer layerhaving the lowest density. A subsequent more substantial compaction ofthe spiral layers is not possible. The bale has little resistance toweathering on storage in the field and is not likely to retain itsshape.

Furthermore, it has been found in the known machines that at thebeginning of each bale formation it is not always possible to start therolling movement of the material since the frictional engagement on thestraps and belts is not sufficient in all cases to cause the incominglayer of material to take up its position in the small radius ofdeflection which brake the flow of material.

A further problem is the need for a uniform supply of material over theaxial width of the baling zone. If the baling zone for example owing toan uneven windrow thickness in cross-section, is filled more on one sidethan on the other this causes not only an unevenness in elongation ofthe straps and wear of the straps and failure owing to displacement ortwisting of individual straps, but also causes the finished bale to havea conical shape, which easily loses the tying twine during transport.

Furthermore, delicate material is strongly compressed and crushed owingto the constant exertion of force on the bale surface even at thebeginning of the rolling operation, which leads to a high loss of leavesfrom the dry leafy material.

If chain conveyors are used as the conveyor belts, the material to becompressed is particularly strongly damaged by the beating effect of thetransverse bars. Furthermore, the transverse bars are exposed to highbending moments and the alternating stress occurring under thecompressing action of the chain links leads to rapid wear.

Furthermore, machines have been proposed in which only a small part ofthe circumferential surface of the baling zone for example, the bottomand an adjacent wall, is provided with conveying means so that thematerial being baled must slide with friction along the greater part ofthe frame forming the baling zone, if it is to be sent into a rotarymovement. Apart from the losses owing to abrasion and stiffness inoperation only a loose bundling effect can be achieved.

One object of the present invention is to provide a machine for theproduction of round bales with a highly compressed density in the outerlayers and with a less dense core, whereby the rolling operation isreliably and positively started and then maintained. The constructionand drive of the machine is simple. Loose lengths of conveyor belts areavoided at the beginning of the rolling operation and alternate bendingstresses on the conveyor belts are also avoided. An even filling over ofthe entire width of the baling zone is afforded.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, a machine isprovided for forming round bales of windrowed fibrous material, whichincludes a two part frame defining a generally cylindrical baling zonewith a horizontal center axis. Conveying elements, disposed across theentire width of the baling zone, are supported on the frame and aredriven in the peripheral direction of the round bale to be formed. Aninlet opening or gap is provided between two of the conveying elements.A distinguishing feature of the invention is characterized in that theconveying elements are fixedly journaled relative to the frame oversubstantially the whole circumferential periphery of the baling zone. Inimplementing the invention the material introduced into the baling zonethrough the inlet opening, after it passes over the lower conveyingelements, is deflected by the following conveying elements in an upwarddirection and by means of the following material is loosely thrown overin the opposite direction so that a loose rolling movement is effectedimmediately. Since initially no pressure is exerted by the conveyingelements on the material, the rolling movement produced by the constantsupply of new material is effective independently of frictionalengagement, that is, independently of the moisture of the material.

The loose introduction further makes it possible for the material todistribute itself evenly over the entire width of the baling zone as itfalls backwardly in the case of uneven windrow width.

It is only when the roll of material has reached the circumferentialsurface of the baling zone that on further supply of material theconveying means located on the circumferential periphery exerts apressure directed inwardly so that the inner layers fold together in astellate manner and become compacted. Accordingly, a round bale isformed with a large compressed density in the outer layers and with aless dense core, which makes possible not only a high resistance toweathering on being stored in the field but also makes possible suitableventilation both in the storage in the field and in a ventilated plant.Furthermore, the loose core substantially facilitates transport of theejected bale; it can for example, be picked up by a simple tractorloader by spiking on a prong inserted into the core of the bale so thatit can be transported and stacked.

Another advantage is afforded by the possibility of terminating fillingat any particular compressed density desired so that the differentmaterial conditions and the different requirements as regards the use ofthe bales can be taken into account.

In one advantageous form of the invention the conveying elements consisteither of a number of serially arranged conveyor belts, which makepossible a particularly simple and low-wear construction, or of a numberof practically service-free conveyor rollers, or, as a furtherpossibility, as a conveyor chain made in one or more parts.

The supply of windrowed material and the discharge of the completed baleare problems which are particularly conveniently solved if, in aconventional manner, the lower conveyor elements form a horizontalconveying bottom surface or one which is inclined downwardly from theinlet opening or gap.

Further, the conveying elements adjacent to the bottom conveying surfaceare directed upwards so that they make an angle of more than 90° withthe conveying bottom. Owing to this arrangement a particularly reliablestart of the rolling movement is ensured, for the first incomingmaterial can much more readily follow a conveyor element risingobliquely towards the rear than a conveying element which causes adeflection towards the front at an acute angle with the bottom conveyingsurface.

A particularly economic construction can be achieved if all the conveyorbelts following the belt at the inlet opening have the same dimensions,and more particularly have the same belt lengths.

A reliable transfer of the material from one belt to another andsatisfactory rounding off of the bale is obtained if the deflectingroller on the inlet end of each conveyor belt is offset radiallyoutwardly with relation to the central axis of the cylindrical balingzone, in respect to the roller on the discharge end of the precedingconveyor belt.

It is possible to increase the engagement properties of the conveyingelements by ensuring that at least some of the conveying straps, belts,rollers or drums are provided on their surface with transverselyextending entraining rails or lugs. This advantage is made possible inthe case of conveyor belts by constructing them without loop-formingtensioning rollers.

A further increase in the engagement properties of individual conveyingrollers or drums can be obtained by the use of conveying tines, which ina conventional manner are eccentrically mounted in the interior of thedrums and extend into the conveying zone through openings in the wall ofthe drums.

In accordance with the invention the two-part frame defining the balingzone has a stationary front part in which the bottom conveying surfaceand a part of upwardly extending conveying surface are mounted, whilethe rear part, in which the remaining conveying elements are arranged,is pivotally mounted on the front part so that it can be swung upwardsby hydraulic cylinders fixed to the side walls of the frame and attachedto the front and rear parts.

The rear part can, in a conventional manner, be mechanically orhydraulically locked in the operating and transport condition with thefront part by a locking device secured onto the side walls of the frame.The locking device is coupled with the hydraulic cylinder so that it isreleased before the rear part can be pivoted to the open position.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there are illustrated and described preferredembodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section of a machine bale, in accordancewith the invention, for forming round bales;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view from the left in FIG. 2 with the machine shown inthe closed position in full lines and in the opened condition in brokenlines; and

FIG. 4 is a side view similar to FIG. 1, showing another embodiment ofthe invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a machine for forming round bales of windrowedfibrous material is shown consisting of a single axle chassis 1 with atow-bar 2 extending from a front housing or cage-like frame part 3 whichdefines a generally cylindrical baling zone. The central axis of thebaling zone is horizontal and runs parallel to the axle of thechassis 1. Front part 3 consists of side walls 4 and 5 extendingtransversely of the central axis and connected together by struts 6 and7. At the upper end of the rear edge 8 of the side walls 4 and 5 thefront part 3 has pivot bearings 9, in which rear part 10 of the balingzone is journalled so that it can be pivoted or swung upwards throughapproximately 90° into a discharge position 11 shown dotted in FIG. 3.The rear part 10 consists of laterally spaced side walls 12 and 13 whichhave a front edge 14 juxtaposed, in the closed position, to the rearedge 8 of the front side walls 4 and 5. Side walls 12 and 13 areconnected together by struts 15 to 17.

To open the rear housing part 10 a hydraulic cylinder 18 is provided oneach of the side walls of the baling zone. The hydraulic cylinders 18are journalled on a pin 19 on the front side walls 4 and 5. On the sidewalls 12 and 13 of the rear part 10 a bell crank 20 is pivotally mountedwith one leg having a bearing pin 21 to which the piston rod 22 of thecylinder is journalled. The second leg of the bell crank 20 is connectedvia a coupling rod 23 with a locking hook 24. The locking hook isjournalled to the lower section of the rear side walls 12 and 13 andlocks the front frame part 3 to the rear frame part 10, by engagementwith a pin 25. Tension spring 26 ensures a constant automatic lockingaction. It is overridden only by actuation of the hydraulic cylinder 18,in which case the bell crank 20 is firstly pivoted in the direction ofthe arrow 27 up to an abutment 28. In this position the locking actionis overcome and the rear part 10 can be pivoted by further actuation ofthe cylinder 18, into its opened position 11.

A conveying element 29 forms the bottom of the front part 3 and consistsof several straps 32 carried over deflecting rollers 30, 31. The straps32 run from the front or left hand side in FIG. 1, to the back in adownwardly inclined fashion to the horizontal and its movement isdenoted by arrow 33.

Above the bottom conveying element 29 the remaining surface or jacket ofthe generally cylindrical baling zone formed by the front and rear parts3, 10 consists of five serially arranged independent conveyor belts 34to 38. All of the conveyor belts 34 to 38 have the same dimensions; theyconsist of a number of laterally adjacent straps 39, carried over anupstream roller 40, and a downstream roller 41. The straps run in thedirection of the arrows 42. The first three conveying belts 34 to 36following the conveying element 29 are mounted in the rear housing part10. The next two conveyor belts 37, 38 are supported in the fronthousing part 3. The conveying belt 34 immediately adjacent to the bottomconveying element 29 is inclined obliquely upwards and at an obtuseangle to the bottom element. The axis 43 of the deflecting roller 44 atthe downstream end of the middle conveyor belt 36 runs coaxially to thepivot bearings 9. The last conveyor belt 38 runs practicallyperpendicularly towards the bottom conveying element 29 and its lowerend trained over the deflecting roller 45 is spaced vertically above thefront deflecting roller 30 of the bottom conveying element 29 and formstherebetween an inlet opening or gap 46 for the windrow 47 of materialto enter into the baling zone.

The deflecting rollers of the conveyor belts 34 to 38 and of the bottomconveying element 29 are supported in the side walls 4, 5, 12 and 13.The deflecting rollers 31, 41, 44 and 45 at the downstream end aredriven by chain drives 48 via an angle drive 49 journalled on thechassis 1. The deflecting rollers 30 and 40 at the upstream ends areprovided with bearings 50 which can be adjusted in position owing to theprovision of slots 51 in the side walls to tighten the rollers. Thedeflecting roller 40 on the upstream end of each conveyor belt is offsetradially outwardly by a distance a in relation to the central axis ofthe baling zone, from the deflecting rollers 31, 41 and 44 on thedownstream end of the preceding conveying belt.

On the rear outer run of the conveying belts between the individualconveying belt straps 32, 39 distance pieces 52 are provided ontransverse connecting pieces 53 extending between the side walls of theframe. Furthermore, between the inner and the outer runs strippingconnecting pieces 54 are provided, which are attached in an adjustablemanner on the side walls. The straps 32 and 39 are partly provided withtransverse lugs 55.

On the chassis 1 upstream from the front deflection roller 30 of thebottom conveying element 29, a pick-up device 57 is carried in bearings56 in a manner allowing vertical swinging movement. The controlled tinedrum 58 is driven via chain drives 59 and 60 in the direction of thearrow 61.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the conveying belts arereplaced by serially arranged conveying drums or rollers which areadjacent to each other. In the front part 3 of the baling zone fourconveying drums 62 to 65 form a bottom conveying surface, which ispreceded by a pick-up 57 and an intermediate member 79. The bottomconveying surface runs from the inlet opening or gap 46 towards the rearin a downwardly inclined fashion. The rear part 10 is equipped withtwelve serially arranged conveying drums or rollers 66 at thecircumferential peripheral surface of the generally cylindrical balingzone. Around the shaft 67 of the last conveying drum 68 in the rear part10, pivot bearings 69 for the rear part are arranged coaxially. Upstreamfrom the last conveying drum or roller 68 the upper circumferentialperipheral surface of the front part 3 consists of four conveying drumsor rollers 70. The material conveying surface is terminated by a sheetmetal guide 71 located above the first drum 62 of the bottom conveyingsurface. The lower end 72 of the guide 71, defines the upper limit ofthe inlet opening or gap 46.

All conveying drums or rollers are driven in the direction of the arrows73. For this purpose at the front part 3, a chain drive 74 is providedfor the drums 62 to 65 and a second chain drive 75 is provided for thedrums 68, 70. From the conveying drum 68 a further chain drive 76 passesabout all of the conveying drums 66 in the rear part 10. The threechains 74 to 76 engage with sprocket wheels of their particular drums,the engagement being ensured by deflecting pinions 77. Each of thechains are tightened by a separate tensioning device 78. The drive istaken from angle or bevel drives 49.

The baling machine described is drawn by a tractor in the field over awindow 47, which is taken up by the pick-up 57 and is passed through theinlet gap 46 into the baling zone defined by the front and rear parts 3,10. The bottom conveying element 29 and, respectively, the rollers 62 to65 forming the bottom conveying surface in FIG. 4 convey the windrow 47as far as the adjacent conveying belt 34 and, respectively, as far asthe first conveyor drums or roller 66. The material is then carriedupwardly and then thrown over by the following part of the windrowpushing it, in a forward direction. On falling over in a forwarddirection the windrow becomes evenly distributed over the whole width ofthe baling zone and begins to wind up to form a roll. When the roll hasachieved the same size as the baling zone, and additional materialenters the baling zone, it is compressed more and more towards thecenter and the inner layers are folded inwards in a stellate manner.After achieving the desired compressed density of the finished roundbale, it is tied up by the introduction of tying twine from a tyingdevice not shown and is then ejected from the machine by opening therear part 10.

While the specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventiveprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:
 1. A machine for forming round bales of windrowedfibrous agricultural material and the like, comprising a cage-like framehaving a horizontal central axis defining a generallycylindrically-shaped baling zone, said frame comprising a pair ofupwardly extending side walls spaced apart in the horizontal direction,said side walls extending transversely of the horizontal central axis ofthe baling zone and defining the opposite ends of the baling zone,conveying means extending between said side walls, said conveying meanscomprising a bottom conveyor member for receiving the agriculturalmaterial as it enters the baling zone and a plurality of seriallyarranged conveying elements for receiving the agricultural material fromsaid bottom conveyor member, and means for driving said conveying meansin the direction defining the generally cylindrical circumferentialperipheral of the baling zone, wherein the improvement comprises thatsaid conveying elements are fixably journalled to the frame andstationarily mounted on said frame relative to each other during thebale forming operation and are disposed around the generally cylindricalperiphery of the baling zone from said bottom conveyor member, the lastone of the serially arranged said conveying elements is disposed abovesaid bottom conveyor member in the generally cylindrical peripheraldirection of the baling zone and said bottom conveyor member defines thelower side of an inlet opening into the baling zone, and said conveyingelements comprise a plurality of conveying rollers arranged inside-by-side relation around the generally cylindrical periphery of thebaling zone with the axis thereof disposed in generally parallelrelation to the horizontal central axis of the baling zone.
 2. Amachine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein entraining lugs are attachedto said conveying elements and extend across the surface of saidconveying elements in generally parallel relation with the central axisof said baling zone so that said lugs entrain the material being baledas said conveying elements move in the cylindrical circumferentialperipheral direction of the baling zone.
 3. A machine, as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said frame comprises a stationary front part and a rearpart pivotally connected to said front part on the upper portion of saidside walls, so that said rear part can be pivotally displaced from aclosed position to an open position, said front part supporting saidbottom conveyor member and at least the last one of said conveyingrollers, said rear part supporting at least some of the others of saidconveying rollers, a separation plane formed between said front and rearpart in the closed position and being substantially vertical andextending upwardly through said side walls from the lower to the uppersection of said baling zone so that by pivoting said rear part outwardlyfrom said front part a bale of material formed within the baling zonecan be removed from the machine.
 4. A machine, as set forth in claim 1,wherein a guide extends vertically downwardly from the last one of saidconveying rollers toward said bottom conveyor member with the lower sideof said guide being spaced vertically upwardly from said bottom conveyermember and forming therebetween the upper and lower sides of the inletopening into said baling zone.
 5. A machine, as set forth in claim 4,wherein said guide being formed of sheet metal.
 6. A machine, as setforth in claim 1, wherein said bottom conveyor member comprises at leastone second conveying roller, said inlet opening into the baling zonecomprising at the lower side thereof said second conveying roller and atthe upper side thereof the last one of the serially arranged saidconveying rollers comprising said conveying elements.
 7. A machine, asset forth in claim 6, wherein said bottom conveyor member comprises saidsecond conveyor roller forming the lower side of said inlet opening andat least another said second conveyor roller, said second conveyingrollers extending inwardly into the baling zone in the direction ofmovement of the material from the inlet opening into the baling zone forintroducing the fibrous material therein to said conveying elements. 8.A machine, as set forth in claim 3, wherein a releaseable lock isprovided between said front part and said rear part for retaining saidfront and rear parts locked together.
 9. A machine, as set forth inclaim 8, wherein means are mounted on the outer surfaces of said sidewalls for pivotally displacing said rear part relative to said frontpart.